11.21.2013

I'm back from a wonderful weekend away... I tweeted and instagramed the whole time so if you want to read/see more about it go check out my feeds! Since I worked all weekend I gave myself a bit of time to play when I got home and decided to finish up my POOF!

Two years ago when I was in Colorado I saw Anne's Poof, and knew that I needed a ottoman/foot rest/squatting spot/bed for cat for our house too! So when I was at Webs later that spring I bought 12 skeins of Berroco Sundae (now discontinued) to knit one up. They didn't have enough of the green I wanted, so I mixed together two shades. The poof is knit on Size 17 needles with three strands held together. To say that it was heavy would be an understatement! I ended up having to use a football hold on my needles to take the weight off my wrists... very very different than knitting lace, let me tell you!

I cast on 42 sts and knit until I ran out of yarn. To stuff it I used an old twin down comforter that I "filled" with clean old towels and then rolled that up into a doughnut. I had read that if you didn't use something firm for the center that it would collapse once it was sat on. Below I use my needles to "hold" the seam together while I stretched the knit fabric around my filling.

11.14.2013

I'm gathering up lots of kits, teaching supplies, clothing, and goodies for my last weekend away of the season... this time I'm on tour in New Jersey! I'll be at Wooly Monmouth in Red Bank on Friday and Saturday teaching "Design Your Own Stereo Cuff" and "Mica Mitts and Tam" on Saturday. I believe there is still room in both classes if you want to join in!

Gathering supplies for my Stereo Class

On Sunday I'll be at Close Knit in Wycoff... I am so excited to see this store for the first time! I've heard wonderful things... and who knows what might come home with me!

Then Monday I get to have a day in the city to shop for boiled wool for a coat (yes, I am making a winter coat). See below for just how crazy I am.... meet my editor, and maybe even get to the Met to see this exhibit.

Monday eve will find me speaking about my love of beads and beaded knitting to the Westchester Knitting Guild... I've got oodles of kits with me as I suspect I might have a few converts before the evening is over!

The coat I mentioned above deserves it's own blog post... I promise to write one when I have something more interesting to show you. Let's just blame it on Pinterest for now!

What a crazypants European sewing pattern looks like.

On a sadder note, I've following the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and have been floored by the devastation that has occurred there. I've developed a connection to the Philippines after learning about Ricefield Collective and becoming friends with it's co-founder, Meredith. We learned about a heartfelt project called 1,000 Bear Hugs and my girl gathered a whole pile of loved stuffies to send off to them. If you have any extra stuffed animals your family is ready to part with I urge you to send them on. What a sweet way to share a bit of love with those struggling to heal.

I'll also be donating 10% of this last week's online sales to the relief organization NAFCON. It was a great week with the release of Cyclo, and I'm thrilled to be able to help, thankyou knitters!!!!!!

11.12.2013

Ready for another new kit? Cyclo is a versatile “fauxbius” constructed of garter stitch short row wedges with an integrated beaded I-cord edge.

The Cyclo kit contains an exclusiveFreia Fibers gradient mini skein, coordinating beads and a dental floss threader (for string the beads). Cyclo is worked over 17 sts... this is not complicated knitting, though the result is! And no worries, the pattern includes video tutorials for all the “tricksy” bits! The kit is packaged in a clear plastic tube, keeping the yarn, pattern and beads safe but visible.

11.06.2013

Well, that was a FUN weekend! I taught 6 classes over three days at Vogue Knitting Live at the Palmer House in Chicago and had some of the most wonderful students EVER!

They were so so so fabulous that I didn't take ANY photos in class, I was too busy lecturing, answering questions and keeping everyone's hands busy! It was my first time teaching in the midwest, and I have to say that my classes had a FABULOUS sense of humor! Seriously, we had fun! One class even had a field trip to the marketplace to see my kits in the Windy Knitty booth... which was a first!

Sorry for the image quality.... but you can see how happy we are!

I did take some photos with my phone and a few with my camera while I wasn't teaching that can show you a bit more of the weekend!

I also got to hang with my buddy and copy editor Ann Weaver (who is awesomeesauce!)
She and I committed to a design "smackdown" in the new year.... more info on that to come!

There are also some photos of yarn, pizza, coffee, and friends on Instagram, I definitely did some good eating while I was in the Windy City! I also somehow came home with yarn to make Puffin, which has been in my queue since Kate released it. It might go into my retirement stash for now... but one day that sweater will be mine!

And one exciting thing? I showed Cyclo kits for the first time, and it SOLD OUT! I'll be releasing it Friday... so stay tuned!

Thankyou Vogue Knitting for throwing a WONDERFUL event! Seriously, you all know how to run a classy knitting retreat!

( Just counted: This blog post has 18 exclamation points in it... I must have had fun!)